Museums, Nagoya

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The Tokugawa Art Museum is an excellent museum dedicated to displaying objects from the collections of the Owari Tokugawa which ruled from Nagoya and were one of the most powerful domains of feudal Japan. As such, the collection of artifacts is impressive and those familiar with Japanese history should recognize the names of some of the artifacts' original owners or creators. To me, that's one of the great things about this museum; you can see the same types of artifacts at many museums but many of those are not connected to an owner or the owner was not famous. Here, there are many artifacts owned by one of the most famous shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, so it's easy to appreciate them.

In addition to samurai clothing and weapons, the museum also features exhibits related to the tea ceremony, Noh theater, paintings, and fabrics. They also house the oldest known copy of the famous Tale of Genji story, although it is not often placed on display because it is difficult to preserve. They have special viewings of the Genji scroll as well as special exhibits throughout the year, so check the website to see what the special exhibits will be during your visit.

Entrance to the museum is 1200 yen.

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Tokugawa Art Museum complex consists of the museum, Hosa Bunko Library and Tokugawa-en Garden. Main entrance of the complex is the Black Gate (Kuro Mon) then you will see the Main Museum straight ahead, Hosa Library on your right and Japanese Garden entrance on your left. Most of the visitors buy the compound ticket for 1,500 yen to visit all of them. To see them all takes at least two hours.

Tokugawa Art Museum is the main building of the complex, the exhibits mainly deal with items related to Tokugawa Shogunate family, and its collected items include the old written copies of the Tale of Genji.

Hosa Library boasts the collection of more than 110,000 items owned by Owari Tokugawa family.

Tokugawa-en Garden was recently reconstructed in 2004. It features waterfalls, Bai Causeway styled bridge, and recreation of the landscape simiar to that of midstream gorges of Kiso River.

This is a sister museum to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Exhibitions are based on set themes; at the time I was there, the theme was "Human Figures" and featured 76 masterpieces by Rembrandt, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Matisse and Picasso. Pretty impressive line-up.

Open 10am-7pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 5pm on weekends. Closed every Monday.

Entry is 1200 yen (discounts for seniors and students - 900 yen).

Houses ten thousand articles from extensive collections handed down by the Tokugawa family as well as historical articles left by Ieyasu. Armor, swords, Noh costumes, decorations of "shoin"(den), a Scroll of the Tale of the Genji, which is a national treasure, are some items of interest

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The Toyota Automobile Museum is a great way to spend a couple hours or, if you're an enthusiast, an entire afternoon. Situated on a scenic campus just 5 minutes' walk from the Geidai-dori Station, the museum features a handsome collection of antique cars, art gallery, research library, children's play area, gift store and cafe.

The collection includes approximately 155 pristine and varied cars. The museum features several classic American autos including a '29 Deusenberg, 1914 Stutz Bearcat, '27 Pierce Arrow, 1909 Stanley Steamer and a beautiful '37 Cord. European entries include a gorgeous '36 Lancia Astura, 1910 & 1937 Rolls Royces, and a vintage Alpha Romeo, Jaguar and Bugatti. The Japanese collection features mostly Toyota entries, but also includes Nissans, Hondas, Mazdas, Mitsubishis and other Japanese autos.

A complete listing of the museums collection, as well as a map and information on the facility, is available at the Museam's website at http://www.toyota.co.jp/Museum/data_e/c01_01.html.

Admission fee is 1000 yen (about $8.50) for adults. Well worth the money, and if you enjoy antique cars it's a great way to spend an afternoon.

An open air museum created to preserve Japanese architecture of the Meiji period (1868-1912) the period in which Japan opened its doors to the outside world. The park opened in 1965 and is located on a hillside overlooking Lake Iruka.
Valuble buildings from around Japan were saved from destruction, brought to the park and reconstructed. Buildings include the Main Entrance Hall & Lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel, St. John's Church, the Shinagawa Lighthouse, and the Kureha-za Theatre.

The Nagoya City Art Museum offers exhibits of famous artwork. When I was there I saw a Van Gogh exhibit. It's located close to Sakae and worth checking out if you are into art. Admission is around 1100 yen.

The museum aims to highlight various historical aspects of the Owari region, where Nagoya is situated, from the prehistoric age to the present day.

Adults : 300Yen

9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

The museum is closed every Monday and the 4th Tuesday of each month

Pay a visit to the TOKUGAWA MUSEUM. The museum is on the site of the residence of the Tokugawa's chief retainer and it features one of the best art collections in the country. You'll find all sorts of treasures belonging to the Okugawa family including samurai armour, documents, lacquer ware, noh masks, elegant kimono, and paintings.

Visit the Toyota car museum. Toyota city lies just a short distance from Nagoya and is the home of the famous car manufacturers. The photo is of my brother and I at the museum.